The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-25
HUNTING A GHOST.
Which. When Discovered, Proved
to be No Ghost at all.


month in his new quarters. the parson-
age of the church to which he had lately
been called. The quarters were new to
him, but half dozen of his preieces-
sors had occupied the house, which was
pretty in itself, and prettily situated
amid shrubbery and trees. The place
was smart town in Northern Michi-
gan. The pastor and his wife were en-
tertaining for day three of Mr.. Star
keye's classmate at college. These gen.
tIemen came up from Ohio for duck
shooting on the Lake Huron shore: and
had stopped for visit to their old
school-fellow in his new location.
After dinner visitors and hosts were
sitting in the coy parlor while the
shades of night deePened. The talk was
lively, and all werei in the best of spirits,
when one of the visitors suddenly ex
claimed
whats that?"
Of course everybody looked at every
body else, and the visitors saw in Mrs.
Starkeye's face an expression of annoy
ance almost amounting to distress.
1t vas John Trennam who made the
exclamation. His comrades, Jack Duce-
man and Henry Ketlow, demanded in
one breath:
What is 1t, john"
What's the matter, old fellow"
Trennam exclaimed: why, that
voice. Didn't you hear it, Starkeye? A
muff1ed sound like the There it is
again Do you hear that?"
10 A
muff1ed voice, truly; but the words were
plainly heard
"Oh-h-h-h-h! -Don't!"
A long dwell upon the first word, in a
sort Of crescendo wall then an instant's
pause, and the second word came, short
and sharp, but in louder tone:
oh Don't"
A woman's voice, evidently. So it
seemed to all the listeners.
Mrs. Starkeye was the first to speak.
at has come, Doyce," she said to her
husband and the manner, not less than
her words, told that the wailing voice
| was not news to them, but was dreaded
by her, at least.
"Starkeye," cried Duceman, spring
ing to his feet, with your permission
We'll lay this ghost for you. l see how
it must annoy you. Do you give US
leave? All! that's right. Come, boys,
let's get to the bottom of it. A parson
can't go ghost-hunting, but we can"
1t was arranged that Trennam should
keep watch at the west window of the
parlor. Duceman was to stealthily sta
| ton himself at the west end of the front
porch, and Ketlow went to the second
floor room above the parlor. A little
| cool-headed watching, they thought,
would discover something in no very
long time. They were to remain at
their posts for an hour, if nothing was
found out meanwhile, and then reas
semble in the parlors to consider further
steps.
The night was not dark, but it was
| difficult to see much around the LEAKAGE
surrounding the parsonage. A sough-
ing, westerly wind came fitfully through
! the trees. The friends took their sta
tons, and half an hour went by, while
at intervals the wailing voice was heard.
Beyond all question it was somewhere
about the west end OF the house. But
where? Now it sounded to Duceman
on the porch as If it were Just above his
/ head; but the next time II was heard it
seemed to come from the top OF silver
leaf poplar, and in his eagerness STEP
ped off the porch among the shrubbery.
"Oh-h h-h-h don't"
Almost directly above his head, Duce.
man thought. He was sure it was in
the poplar tree. He crep. softly along
until he stood under the poplar, and
then looking up intently through the
branches dark form outlined, against
the sky-a form upon the peak Of the
roof and not in the tree. Duceman was
both elated and indignant at his discoy-
cry.
Il hate practical Jokes and iokers-
especially such stu pid ones as this" he
muttered as he stole quickly and quietly
back to the porch into the house. I'll
give that fellow lesson he won't for
get" said Duceman to himself as he Sc
cured his duck gun, and then paid a
! hasty visit to Mrs. Starkeye's kitchen.
In minute more Duceman, gun in
hand, was stealing softly around the
west end OF the house again. There sat
the fellow on the roof, dimly seen
against the sky. Duceman raised his
gun and fired. With loud Shrek the
figure on the roof plunged forward into
the poplar tree. But the branches were
small and brittle, and the figure crashed
through them and alighted in the CEN
ter of great arbor-yit&. Out of this
again, it rolled, suffering, grooming,
and twisting in many contortions'
Duceman dropped his gun and sprang
forward as the inmates of the house
came hurriedly out.
"Great heaven, Ketlow is it YOU pr
exclaimed Duceman, as he reached the
writing figure on the ground.
"O-oo-ool Ow-ow yes! You've killed
me! What did you shoot for? Oh. b. h
my hip my hip!' answered the with
ing Ketlow.
But Ducemau was getting his breath
again.
"Oh, it's only little charge of salt
that you've got" he said. There was
no shot in it. It's only salt. But what
were you doing on the roof? Was 1T
you making that noise?"
This did not stop Ketlow's smarting
but the assurance that he had been
hurt only with salt relieved the Others
of apprehension. By degrees KetIow
explained. He had goae to the second
floor room as appointed There the
wailing voice was so distinctly heard
that he expected to put his hand upon
q NJ DIR h -,